Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe
and Mayor Pierre Aidenbaum of the 3rd Arrondissement
A Public Conference October 12, 2010
Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 • Paris, France
Dear Parler Paris Reader,
The country went on strike yesterday threatening to paralyze the nation, but the “Parler Paris Après Midi" monthly gathering wasn’t hugely affected with a small but loyal crowd of both regulars and ‘occasionals’ to make for a very enlightening afternoon. (Read all about it at parlerparis/apresmidi.html)
As people were arriving, I tested out my new MacBook Air which has been programmed to easily access files from a home-based computer as long as it is connected to the Internet, while Gail Aboudara, one of the owners of “Le Palace des Vosges” was also logging on to get her mail, frustrated from a several-day-long Numericable outage in the district. (Don’t you just love technology?)
Just “en face” of La Pierre du Marais, the café at which we hold the gatherings, the Mairie of the 3rd arrondissement was preparing for Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë to arrive for his annual public conference held at each district’s city hall during the autumn months between September and December. This year’s conference was titled “2010 Compte Rendu de Mandat” – a report of the city’s mandate regarding the housing shortage – an issue of great importance at the top of the mayor’s list.
We arrived early to get a good seat. The auditorium at the Mairie was filled, but not SRO as was expected. I wondered if M. Delanoë had lost some of his public support or if people were simply uninterested. The agenda allowed for a short opening presentation by 3rd district Mayor Aidenbaum, then Mayor Delanoë, followed by questions from the audience (anyone could attend), answers by the Mayor, followed by speeches by four appointed city officials. All total, the event took place over 1.5 hours. Brochures were handed out summarizing the presentation into five topics: 1. Facing the Future, 2. Solidarity of the City, 3. City Progress, 4. The City and Its Residents and 5. A History, an Identity and a Future.
Mayor Delanoë spoke of the necessity to find reasonably priced housing for Paris residents and of the current program to increase subsidized housing. He joked about how the 3rd and his friend, Mayor Aidenbaum, is always willing to include government subsidized housing in its mix, while other districts aren’t as open to welcoming the less fortunate, such as the 6th and 16th. He spoke of providing housing in central Paris for city civil servants so that they won’t have to commute long hours daily to work. And he spoke of the need for more inexpensive housing for students. In addition, he commented on the renovation/rehabilitation of Place de la République which will take place between 2011 and the spring of 2013.
Those who ventured up to ask questions were in essence voicing their complaints, many of which had to do with their own personal situations. One woman was almost in tears and filled with anger about the “fonctionnaires” (civil servants) who occupied her building and created problems for her, but the mayor of Paris handled hers and the other questions with elegant finesse.
While some of the more complicated French was wafting over my head, I observed the two gentlemen, more as just people then as mayors of such an important city. M. Aidenbaum, who is always present in the “quartier” and takes his time to speak to his constituents, is like everyone’s neighbor and friend with a very relaxed posture. M. Delanoë
maintained more stature, more like the illustrious politician he is, even while cleaning his eyeglasses with a special cloth then folding it meticulously before storing it in its case.
Gail Aboudara attended the conference with me, hardly understanding the French, but observing as I was and enjoying the occasion to become a true part of the city she has adopted on a part-time basis. In the spring she attended an “Assemblée Générale” of the “copropriété” of 9 Place des Vosges – her first encounter with French administrative proceedings. And now this!
Uh oh, watch out Gail! You might get used to this!
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
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P.S. Susan Herrmann Loomis, award-winning author, internationally recognized chef, owner of the On Rue Tatin Cooking School in Normandy, France, and long time friend of Parler Paris is coming to Arizona! Scroll down to learn how you can register for her cooking class at a 10% discount, just because you’re a reader of Parler Paris!
